My experience with the Land Down Under

[xxBastet]

I thought I might share some of my experiences with the magical creatures of the land I call home...

Australia seems to have an abundance of elementals and fae. A lot of them I would have no idea what to call them, however some of them have been happy enough to impart information on themselves.

My favorite being is the bunyip (for those who dont know it is a type of shapeshifting water elemental)that had been locked in a bottle brush tree outside my house.

After it had tried communicating with me, I spoke to an aboriginal elder about it 10 odd years ago, and he told me the story about it.

According to legend, the bunyip had been causing mayhem for the local tribe, killing both people and animals. The tribe was shrinking and starving.
The leader of the tribe had had enough of watching his people killed by the being and organized a hunting party to take it out. Although someone was able to wound the creature, the leader and several other tribe members were slain.
The shaman of the tribe was the Chief's brother, and he was heartbroken. He called on all the magic he knew to kill the creature, but the elements of the world around him refused to harm one of their own for doing some that in their eyes, was natural. He managed to broker an agreement with the elaments though after explaining that without the native people, the balance would be broken. The elements agreed to lock the bunyip in a tree for so long as the tribe survived. After that, the creature would be free.

The tree has taken a lot of damage of the years, however even though the other trees around it have suffered lightening strikes or fallen due to strong winds. For a long time you could still make out the face of the bunyip locked in the tree. It's expression would change, though almost always looked like it was screaming in anger or agony. Though as the tree continues to grow, the bunyip has gotten locked further and further in the tree.